I thought the concert was very good. I was disappointed that I didn't get to listen to BTATS. I didn't get to see Maiden during the AMOLAD tour, so I was really hoping to hear some songs from that album. I did get to hear These colours don't run and it was AMAZING. Obviously, the San Antonio crowd didn't get very excited with new songs, but that was expected.
The highlights of the concert:
1. Wicker Man - I like this song as an opener.
2. These colours don't run - One of my favorite songs from AMOLAD. Maiden played it perfectly.
2. Brave New World - Sounds better live than in the album.
3. Fear of the dark - I disagree with the people that say Maiden should not play FOD. I know they play it every tour, but that's the way it should be. It is a classic, and the crowd really gets into this song.
4. Hallowed be thy name - Another classic that should be played in every concert.
5. Bruce - He was amazing as ever. Great energy, great voice. He talked about the soccer match between US and England. Seems like he wasn't that happy with the Goalie!
Things I didn't like:
1. Wildest Dreams - I have no clue why Maiden played this song. If they want to play newer stuff, there are tons of songs in DOD, AMOLAD and BNW that are better than this one. How about Out of the Silent Planet? Rainmaker? Dance of Death? Nomad? etc.
2. No more lies - Same as above, although no more lies is a little bit better.
3. Running Free - I don't like this as the final song. I know they usually end concerts with RTTH, running free or Sanctuary. I am tired of RTTH, so Sanctuary would have been better.
4. No BTATS! This would have made my day. I also like other AMOLAD songs, but I know a lot of them are long and some take time to develop (Longest Day, Greater Good of God), so maybe they are not the best options for a concert. But BTATS would have been perfect.
Mixed feelings:
1. Paschendale - Yes, Paschendale is a great song, but I think Maiden struggled a bit with this song. Not sure why it happened. Maybe that's why they dropped it Houston. Still, I am happy I got to see this live.
2. Davey - I have seen Maiden 7 times, and this is the first time I think Davey wasn't 100%. Not sure what was the problem.
It's always great to see Maiden live. This was a pretty different experience than the SBIT tour. I like that Maiden wanted to do newer songs, but as I mentioned above I didn't like some of their selections. I guess you can't please everyone.